The Wind in the Willows is a British stop motion animated television series that was originally broadcast between 1984 and 1987, based on characters from Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows and following the 1983 feature-length pilot film. The series continues from where the film left off, and original voice cast members David Jason, Richard Pearson and Michael Hordern return. However, Ian Carmichael, who had previously voiced Rat in the film, has now been cast as the narrator, and Rat is now played by Peter Sallis. The series was made by Manchester-based animation company Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and shown on the ITV network. An hour-long feature, A Tale of Two Toads, was broadcast in 1989. It ran for five seasons, with the final season airing in 1990 under the title Oh, Mr. Toad, with a different theme song. In some countries, the original title is retained in the fifth season, and all seasons were packaged together as The Wind in the Willows on DVD. In August 2022, the first three series, as well as the first TV film, were added to streaming service Britbox in the United Kingdom. Cast The series stars David Jason as Toad and the Chief Weasel, Michael Hordern as Badger, Peter Sallis as Rat (replacing Ian Carmichael who voiced Rat in the original 1983 film, though Carmichael remained in the series, having been re-cast as the narrator), and Richard Pearson as Mole. The Chief Weasel was almost always accompanied by his bumbling henchman, who was referred to in two separate episodes, "The Rescue" and "The Paperchase", as Bert. Characters The Narrator (Ian Carmichael) Main characters Mole (Richard Pearson) – Shy, gentle and honest, Mole lives in a modest home underground called Mole End. Although the book featured him as the key protagonist, he plays less of a role in the series in comparison with characters like Toad. Rat (Peter Sallis) – Best and platonic friend to Mole. A friendly and strait-laced everyman with a love of poetry and music, and a great passion for the river by which he lives. Toad (David Jason) – The wealthy owner of Toad Hall, the finest home in the county. Though arrogant, selfish, and ignorant, he is nonetheless charismatic, good-humoured, and cares for his friends dearly. He always throws himself into all kinds of new crazes, without much consideration. His main catchphrase is "It's the